FKF's three-term proposal ‘will fall flat’
What you need to know:
- Current FKF boss Mwendwa has served two years only.
- Federation’s intention to increase term limits for the president faces legal hurdles, lawyer says.
Football Kenya Federation has been warned against altering its constitution to extend the tenure of their president to three maximum terms of four years each.
Sports lawyer Edward Rombo has termed this impending proposal “illegal”.
He said the Sports Registrar will reject such an amendment.
Following a convocation last month the FKF announced its intention to, among other matters, adopt a new constitution that allows a seating president to seek a further two terms in office. This will be adopted during the federations annual general meeting on November 18.
This was communicated formally on October 18 by the federation’s chief executive Robert Muthomi, FKF president Nick Mwendwa has served two years of his four-year term.
The federation is set to test the waters on this amendments at Friday’s consultative meeting where some 113 stakeholders including Sports PS Peter Kaberia have been invited at Kasarani. Rombo however says the move sharply contrasts with the laws of the land.
“At the end of it all, I see that proposal falling flat,” said Rombo.
“If the AGM passes it, then the Registrar wont accept the constitution. It’s against the law.”
“Or in any case, someone will run to court and challenge the change.”
The Sports Act 2013, which governs the running of sports in Kenya, states in part that “the chairperson of a sports organisation shall hold office for a term not exceeding four years, but is eligible for re-election for one more term”.
Still, FKF have come out to defend the proposal.
“This is just a proposed document,” FKF’s media liaison Barry Otieno explained.
“The reasoning behind it is to eventually have a document that aligns to the Caf and Fifa statues. The proposals can however be passed or thrown out.”
Mwendwa was elected in February 2016. Should these proposal be passed, his tenure, assuming he is re-elected, will run up until 2028 and not 2024 as is currently the case.
